Chapter 1183 (2/2)

...better to keep it as a last resort, moving forward…

Although the Nether Beasts paused for a little while after visibly losing so many, more reinforcements surged forward to fill the now expanded trench. In addition to annihilating the Nether Beasts, Implacable Price of Exodus had also largely gotten rid of the small defensive fortifications that had been spaced throughout the trench, which allowed the Nether Beasts to surge forward without any real resistance besides the shallow slopes at the edges.

Those slopes were enough to give Lady Iellaya’s camp an advantage, but it was now clear that they firmly had the attention of the Nether forces, and with each comet that dropped down to the ground, the quality of troops was slowly rising. It was gradual, but there were no longer any Nether Beasts at the two-star tier of strength. They were gradually rising toward three.

For a relatively shaky group like these recruits, that would be enough to overcome any small advantage. But Randidly planned to give them one more edge. Especially as he saw how most of the Nether comets that were impacting the ground were making landfall in front of their base.

Ruinous Drive, Randidly thought silently and his energy began to radiate out from him like a halo of destruction. Unlike the Skill Flowing Momentum that this Skill had evolved from, Randidly no longer had to be literally leading a charge forward in order to provide the benefits to the surrounding individuals. They didn’t need to be part of his ‘momentum’ any longer. Now, Randidly could simply act as a powerplant that supplied a little extra damage to attacks all across the frontlines.

It was really a small thing, likely even smaller than the advantage given to them by the height advantage from the trench. A minuscule percentage of the damage these desperate soldiers inflicted with their images and weapons. A small edge to a sword slash, a finger’s worth of pressure to a blast of fire, a hint of chill to a whirlwind of ice shards.

But it was across a whole portion of the battlefield.

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 36!

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 37!

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 38!

The area Randidly could affect grew slowly along with the Skill Levels, but it was only really enough to benefit Lady Iellaya’s camp. Which was still bolstered to almost fifty thousand people utilizing the pretty modest bonus that Randidly provided. Which, in the aggregate, became enough for the current forces to deal with the rising strength of the Nether Beasts.

The ground of the ditch soon got soaked in ichor and blood of the Aether and Nether forces until it was a muddy hellscape of broken bodies and fizzling grey putty. Hooves and feet and chitinous legs churned the broken substances strewn across the ground until it was a grey/black paste. Ignoring their losses, the Nether Beasts continued to throw themselves forward.

Slowly but surely, the slight edges were enabling the brave defenders at the edge of the ditch to smash back wave after wave of Nether Beasts, leaving the failed attackers broken and trampled underneath their own.

Yet each wave would rip down one or two of the Aether soldiers. Small losses, but more and more Nether Beasts were surging behind, their black, glassy eyes filled with hatred. They were the river of carnage the flowed out of the beating heart of rage that was the Nether King in the sky.

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 39!

They would not stop until that emotion had run its course. And even from here, Randidly could feel the demand for blood.

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 40!

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 41!

Slowly but surely, the extent of the assistance that Randidly could provide was growing. Even now, Randidly’s over one thousand Intelligence pointed out that it wouldn’t be enough. He would not grow quickly enough to keep the soldiers of Lady Iellaya’s camp safe so long as he only acted from afar. Yet even so-

BOOOOOOOM!

Randidly looked sharply upward as the sky above him cracked. A black comet of Nether raced downward, piercing through the barrier that Lord Miln had set up that kept the Nether Beasts from being able to drop anywhere across the battlefield. Before Randidly could react, it had raced down and smashed into the edge of the trench directly in front of Lady Iellaya’s camp, obliterating the bodies of defenders in the surrounding area in a wave of gore.

The soldiers that had been slowly stabilizing were instantly killed. Visual reverberations rippled out over the surrounding area as the dense Nether began to spread.

Lightning fast, Randidly flooded the area with the attacks from Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil. Now that the opponent had gotten out of the area he had affected with the Implacable Cost of Exodus, Randidly could utilize his World Tree Skills again.

Yet as soon as he unleashed the attacks, Randidly’s Grim Intuition told him that these wouldn’t be effective; this foe hovered just below the Nether Gatekeeper tier of power. It was squat and humanoid, with six muscular arms that seemed to be constantly rolling at the shoulder joints. When it flexed, its muscles rippled and reformed around the small scratches that Randidly’s root attacks had made.

The surrounding Aether forces regrouped and rushed toward this foe, but it whipped its arm to the side and ripped apart the nearby resistance. Randidly watched as a severed torso of an Aether soldier tumbled sideways through the air and roll across the ground. Then the powerful Nether Beast raised its head and roared its defiance.

The sea of Nether Beasts behind it roared enthusiastically at the show of power. Their roar was a promise. They were coming for blood.